Top 4 Castles around Upton-Upon-Severn
Best castles around Upton-Upon-Severn include a variety of historical sites, from Iron Age hill forts to 18th-century follies and the remains of Norman castles. The region, situated near the River Severn, offers a landscape rich in history, with connections to medieval manors and significant architectural projects. Visitors can explore sites that provide insight into the area's fortified past and landscape design.
Best castles around Upton-Upon-Severn
- The most popular castles is Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp), an Iron Age hill fort that offers views from the Malvern Hills. This site provides a glimpse into ancient British heritage with well-preserved remnants.
- Another must-see spot is Croome Court, a mid-18th century Neo-Palladian mansion. This stately home is surrounded by landscaped parkland designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown.
- Visitors also love Dunstall Castle, an 18th-century folly ruin. This "eyecatcher" within the Croome Court estate contributes to the historical design of the parkland.
- Upton-Upon-Severn is known for its historical sites, including Iron Age hill forts, 18th-century follies, and the archaeological remains of Norman castles. The area offers a variety of castle-related sites to see and explore, reflecting different periods of history.
- The castles around Upton-Upon-Severn are appreciated by the komoot community, with more than 280 upvotes and over 80 photos shared.
Last updated: May 16, 2026
Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp)
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Croome Court
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The mansion house is owned by Croome Heritage Trust and leased to the National Trust, which operates it as a tourist attraction. The National Trust owns the surrounding parkland, which is also open to the public.
The foundations and core of Croome Court, including the central chimney stack structure, date back to the early 1640s. Substantial changes to this early house were made by Gilbert Coventry, 4th Earl of Coventry.
George Coventry, the 6th Earl, inherited the estate in 1751, along with the existing Jacobean house. He commissioned Lancelot "Capability" Brown, with the assistance of Sanderson Miller, to redesign the house and estate. It was Brown's "first flight into the realms of architecture" and a "rare example of his architectural work", and it is an important and seminal work. It was built between 1751 and 1752, and it and Hagley Hall are considered to be the finest examples of Neo-Palladian architecture in Worcestershire. Notable Neo-Palladian features incorporated into Croome Court include the plain exterior and the corner towers with pyramidal roofs (a feature first used by Inigo Jones in the design of Wilton House in Wiltshire). Robert Adam worked on the interior of the building from 1760 onwards. The house was visited by George III, as well as by Queen Victoria during summers when she was a child, and George V (when Duke of York).
A jam factory was built near Pershore railway station by the 9th Earl of Coventry in about 1880, to provide a market for Vale of Evesham fruit growers in times of surplus. Although the Croome connection with jam-making had ceased, the building was leased by the Croome Estate Trust during the First World War to the Huddersfield Fruit Preserving Company as a pulping station. The First World War deeply affected Croome; there were many local casualties, although the house was not requisitioned for the war effort. This is possibly because it was the home of the Lord Lieutenant of the county, who needed a residence for his many official engagements. Croome Court was requisitioned during the Second World War by the Ministry of Works, and leased for a year to the Dutch Government as a possible refuge for Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands to escape the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. However, evidence shows that they stayed for two weeks at the most, perhaps because of the noise and fear created by the proximity of Defford Aerodrome. They later emigrated to Canada.
The Croome Estate Trust sold the Court in 1948, along with 38 acres (15 ha) of land, to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, and the mansion became St Joseph's Special School, which was run by nuns from 1950 until 1979. In 1979, the hall was taken over by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON, the Hare Krishna movement) which used it as its UK headquarters and a training college, called Chaitanya College. During their tenure they repainted the Dining Room. ISKCON left the estate in 1984 for financial reasons. It held a festival at the hall in 2011. From 1984 onwards, various owners tried to use the property as a training centre; apartments; a restaurant and conference centre; and a hotel and golf course, before once more becoming a private family home, with outbuildings converted to private houses.
The house was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust, a registered charity, in October 2007, and it is now managed by the National Trust as a tourist attraction. It opened to the public in September 2009, at which point six of the rooms had been restored, costing £400,000, including the Saloon. It was estimated that another £4 million to £4.8 million would be needed to restore the entire building. Fundraising activities for the restoration included a 2011 raffle for a Morgan sports car organised by Lord and Lady Flight. After the restoration is complete, a 999-year lease on the building will be granted to the National Trust. An oral history project to record recollections about Croome was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. As of 2009, the service wing was empty and in need of substantial repair. The house was listed on 11 August 1952; it is currently Grade I listed.
The mansion is faced with Bath stone, limestone ashlar, and has both north and south facing fronts. It has a basement and two stories, with three stories in the end pavilions. A slate roof, with pyramid roofs over the corner towers, tops the building, along with three pair-linked chimneys along the axis of the house.
Both fronts have 11 bays, split into three central sets of three each, and one additional bay each side. The north face has a pedimented centre, with two balustraded staircases leading to a Roman Doric doorcase. The south face has a projecting Ionic tetrastyle portico and Venetian windows. It has a broad staircase, with Coade stone sphinxes on each side, leading to a south door topped with a cornice on consoles. The wings have modillion cornice and balustrade.
A two-story L-shaped service wing is attached to the east side of the mansion. It is made of red brick and stone, with slate roofs. It was designed by Capability Brown in 1751–1752. On the far side of the service wing, a wall connects it to a stable court.
The interior of the house was designed partially by Capability Brown, with plasterwork by G. Vassalli, and partially by Robert Adam, with plasterwork by Joseph Rose, Jr. It has a central spine corridor. A stone staircase, with iron balusters, is at the east end.
The entrance hall is on the north side of the building, and has four fluted Doric columns, along with moulded doorcases. To the east of the entrance hall is the dining room, which has a plaster ceiling and cornice, while to the west is a billiard room, featuring fielded panelling, a plaster cornice, and a rococo fireplace. The three rooms were probably decorated around 1758–1759 by Capability Brown. The dining room was vibrantly repainted by the Hare Krishnas in the 1970s-80s.
The central room on the south side is a saloon, probably by Brown and Vassalli. It has an elaborate ceiling, with three panels, deep coving, and a cornice, along with two Ionic fireplaces, and Palladian doorcases. King George III was entertained by George Coventry, the 6th Earl, in the house's Saloon. A drawing room is to the west of the saloon, and features rococo plasterwork and a marble fireplace.
To the east of the saloon is the Tapestry Room. This was designed in 1763–1771, based on a design by Robert Adam, and contained tapestries and furniture covers possibly designed by François Boucher and Maurice Jacques, and made by Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins. Around 1902 the ninth Earl sold the tapestries and seating to a Parisian dealer. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation purchased the ceiling, floor, mantlepiece, chair rails, doors and door surrounds in 1949; they were donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in 1958. In 1959, the Kress Foundation also helped the Metropolitan Museum acquire the chair and sofa frames, which they recovered using the original tapestry seats. A copy of the ceiling was installed in place of the original. As of 2016, the room is displayed as it would have looked after the tapestries had been sold, with a jug and ewer on display as the only original decoration of the room that remains in it. The adjacent library room is used to explain what happened to the tapestry room; the former library was designed by Adam, and was dismantled except for the marble fireplace.
At the west side of the building is a Long Gallery[10] which was designed by Robert Adam and installed between 1761 and 1766. It is the best preserved of the original interior (little of the rest has survived in situ). It has an octagonal panelled ceiling, and plaster reliefs of griffins. A half-hexagonal bay faces the garden. The room also contains a marble caryatid fireplace designed by J Wilton. As of 2016, modern sculptures are displayed in empty niches along the Long Gallery.
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Eastnor Castle
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With extensive parkland, visiting Eastnor could easily turn into a half-day affair and you'll have to drag yourself away as its architecture is so commanding.
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Dunstall Castle
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View of Eastnor Castle
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A worthy addition to the National Trust. Wonderful house, set in Capability Brown's first landscape park.
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Here, on the trail up Midsummer Hill's southern flank, you're rewarded with an excellent view down onto Eastnor Castle. Built in the early 19th century by Robert Smirk, the architect responsible for the original British Museum, this private residence is an impressive landmark in the Herefordshire countryside.
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Once created as an observation tower for guests of Croome Court to see all the territory of the realm. Nowadays, it is managed by National Trust. Free entry
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The Herefordshire Beacon is one of the highest peaks of the Malvern Hills. It is surrounded by a British Iron Age hill fort earthwork known as British Camp. The fort subsequently had a ringwork and bailey castle built inside its boundary and there is evidence of 120 huts in the area. British Camp has been a scheduled monument since 1923. On the eastern slope of Herefordshire Beacon, there is a disused reservoir, British Camp Reservoir, which holds approximately 213,000 cubic metres (7,500,000 cu ft) of water. Herefordshire Beacon represents one of the Malvern Hills, 1,109 feet (338 m) high, and is the second highest summit in the hills. It is within the county of Herefordshire, but is directly adjacent to the border with Worcestershire to the east. Atop Herefordshire Beacon, there is an Iron Age hill fort, known as British Camp, and would have held a settlement between 4th century BCE and 1st century CE. A ringwork and bailey castle was built within the site of the hill fort, and there is evidence of 120 huts having been built within the boundaries of the fort. The hill fort received scheduled monument status on 10 August 1923. Nearby to British Camp, on the eastern slope of Herefordshire Beacon, there is a reservoir called British Camp Reservoir. It has a capacity of 213,000 cubic metres (7,500,000 cu ft), although it has not been used for many years. In 2017, Severn Trent proposed to dismantle the treatment plant associated with the reservoir and drain it, leaving an 8,000 cubic metres (280,000 cu ft) pond. source: Wikipedia
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go during the week to miss the many people that walk these hills
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A lot less busy than Worcestershire Beacon. and more interesting archaeology than the remains of an old cafe.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What types of castles can I explore near Upton-upon-Severn?
The area around Upton-upon-Severn offers a diverse range of historical sites with castle connections. You can find ancient Iron Age hill forts like Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp), 18th-century follies such as Dunstall Castle, and the archaeological remains of Norman castles, including the site of Upton upon Severn Castle itself.
Are there any family-friendly castle sites in the region?
Yes, several sites are suitable for families. Croome Court, with its extensive parkland designed by Capability Brown, is a great option. Eastnor Castle, a 19th-century storybook castle with vast grounds, also offers public access during summer months and is very family-friendly.
Which castle sites are best for history enthusiasts?
For those interested in history, Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp) provides a glimpse into ancient British heritage with its well-preserved Iron Age hill fort. The remains of Hanley Castle, though subtle, offer a connection to a significant Norman royal hunting lodge and powerful medieval families. Croome Court is also historically significant as Capability Brown's first major architectural and landscape project.
Can I combine a castle visit with outdoor activities like hiking?
Absolutely. Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp) is located on the Malvern Hills and offers splendid views after a steep climb, making it ideal for hikers. You can find various easy hikes around Upton-Upon-Severn that can be combined with exploring historical sites.
What is Dunstall Castle and what makes it unique?
Dunstall Castle is an 18th-century folly ruin, constructed as an 'eyecatcher' within the landscaped parkland of Croome Court. It's unique as a picturesque ruin that contributes to the historical design of the estate, offering insight into 18th-century landscape architecture rather than being a traditional defensive castle.
Are there any castles near Upton-upon-Severn that are dog-friendly?
Many of the outdoor areas and parklands associated with these sites are dog-friendly. For example, the extensive parkland at Croome Court and the grounds of Eastnor Castle often welcome well-behaved dogs on leads. Always check specific venue policies before your visit.
What remains of Upton upon Severn Castle today?
Little remains of the physical structure of Upton upon Severn Castle. It was likely a timber castle, and today you can find cropmarks and slight earthworks, including a circular cropmark indicating the ditch of a possible motte (a defensive mound) near the river crossing. Its significance lies in its past as a probable Norman fortification.
What is the best time of year to visit castles in this area?
The spring and summer months (April to September) are generally ideal for visiting, as the weather is milder for exploring outdoor sites like Herefordshire Beacon and the parklands of Croome Court and Eastnor Castle. Some sites, like Eastnor Castle, have specific public access seasons, so it's best to check their opening times.
Are there any cafes or pubs near the castle sites?
Yes, Croome Court, managed by the National Trust, has its own cafe facilities. For other sites, you'll find charming pubs and cafes in nearby villages such as Hanley Castle, which has a 15th-century pub, or in Upton-upon-Severn itself, offering refreshments after your exploration.
What are some lesser-known historical sites with castle connections near Upton-upon-Severn?
Beyond the more prominent sites, the village of Hanley Castle, a short distance north of Upton-upon-Severn, is historically significant. While the Norman castle itself is largely gone, only a dry moat and mound remain. The village retains historical charm, including the nearby Elizabethan and Jacobean mansion, Severn End, offering further historical interest. You can learn more about its history on Wikipedia.
What kind of views can I expect from these castle sites?
From Herefordshire Beacon (British Camp), you'll be rewarded with splendid panoramic views of the surrounding Malvern Hills and countryside. Dunstall Castle, as a folly, was designed as an 'eyecatcher' within the Croome Court estate, offering picturesque views within its landscaped parkland.
Are there any guided tours available for these castles?
While specific guided tours for all sites may vary, Croome Court, as a National Trust property, often offers guided experiences or information from volunteers. Eastnor Castle, when open to the public, may also provide guided access to certain parts of the castle. It's advisable to check their official websites for current tour availability.
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